Can Portland's 911 Call Center Step Up Its Game?

Here's a look at the numbers.

In 2017 the City of Portland released a report detailing concerns with the performance of its 911 call center, stating: “For years, chronic staffing shortages have threatened the Bureau [of Emergency Communication]’s ability to meet acceptable service levels. Insufficient staffing poses a threat to promptly answering 911 calls and dispatching the appropriate emergency response.” A year later, the center boasts new leadership and improvement, but the emergency number still has its own emergency numbers.

37,415

Average number of calls answered by Portland’s 911 call center per month

24.4

Percentage of peak-hour calls Portland’s dispatchers answered within 10 seconds in August 2018

90

Percentage that should be answered within 10 seconds, per National Emergency Number Association standard

107

Number of dispatchers working at Portland’s 911 call center as of press time (plus 15 in training)

5

Years new center director Bob Cozzie believes it will take to reach the national standard, if he adds five dispatchers per year to his staff

1

Number of emergency calls made in 2018 about a raccoon crossing the street

823-3333

The nonemergency number (area code 503) to call for a neighbor’s loud party, vandalism, or, say, a raccoon crossing the street